HMRC Self Assessment Phone Number: Opening Hours, Call Charges, And Contact Guide
The HMRC Self Assessment phone number is 0300 200 3310, the official HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) helpline for questions about returns, payments, replacements, notices and Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
As of November 2026, it is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, and closed on bank holidays.
Key takeaways
- 0300 200 3310 covers Self Assessment general and payment enquiries; 0300 200 3600 covers sign-in and error-message problems.
- 0300 numbers are not freephone. GOV.UK lists 030 calls at up to 10p a minute from landlines and 3p to 40p a minute from mobiles; they count towards inclusive minutes in the same way as 01 and 02 calls.
- The helpline cannot take payments, and waits peak in the weeks before the 31 January deadline.
Which HMRC Self Assessment Phone Number Should You Call?
Sole traders with questions about a Self Assessment return, payment, notice or Making Tax Digital for Income Tax should call 0300 200 3310.
Sign-in, registration, online filing, error messages, and HMRC free software or tools problems belong with the Online Services Helpdesk on 0300 200 3600.
| Reason for calling | Number | From outside the UK | Textphone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Returns, payments, replacements or notices | 0300 200 3310 | +44 161 931 9070 | Not listed |
| Making Tax Digital for Income Tax sign-up or use | 0300 200 3310 | +44 161 931 9070 | Not listed |
| Advice on making a Self Assessment payment | 0300 200 3310 | +44 161 931 9070 | Not listed |
| Sign-in, online filing or error-message problems | 0300 200 3600 | +44 161 930 8445 | 0300 200 3603 |
| Faults inside Making Tax Digital software | Software provider | Varies | Varies |
The general enquiries line handles Self Assessment returns, payments, replacements and notices, plus signing up for or using Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
The Online Services Helpdesk covers logging on, registering for an online service, submitting forms, error messages and HMRC’s free software. GOV.UK warns that waits on the helpdesk can reach 45 minutes.
One recent change catches out older guides. GOV.UK updated its payment enquiries page on 25 September 2026, and it now lists 0300 200 3310 for that service. The payment enquiries line gives advice only: GOV.UK states that a bill cannot be paid over it.
Pick the right line in three steps:
- Call 0300 200 3310 for a return, payment, notice or Making Tax Digital for Income Tax question.
- Call 0300 200 3600 for a lost user ID or password, a failed online submission or an error message.
- Contact the software provider for faults inside Making Tax Digital software, because HMRC cannot answer technical questions about it.
Both numbers keep the same office hours, but the calendar around those hours is less predictable.
HMRC Self Assessment Helpline Opening Times, Bank Holidays and Deadline Day
The Self Assessment helpline is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, and closed on bank holidays. The Online Services Helpdesk keeps identical hours.
Standard hours and seasonal changes
- Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm.
- Bank holidays: closed.
- Christmas and New Year: GOV.UK publishes separate opening times each winter.
- Weekends: closed, apart from one-off arrangements such as Saturday 31 January 2026.
Is the helpline open on a Saturday? Not as a rule. Some guides describe Saturday phone hours as routine, but GOV.UK lists weekday hours only.
HMRC has also shut the line completely before: it redirected callers to digital services between 12 June and 4 September 2023 as a trial, and the helpline reopened on 4 September.
Deadline day: 31 January
HMRC’s deadline-day phone cover has changed at short notice before:
- For 31 January 2026, GOV.UK recorded special Saturday support, with webchat available from 8am to 4pm and the phone helpline open from 9am to 4pm.
- 31 January 2027 falls on a Sunday. 31 January 2027 is the Self Assessment filing and payment deadline for the 2025 to 2026 tax year. The GOV.UK general enquiries page, last updated on 28 July 2026, lists no deadline-weekend arrangements yet.
- A late return carries an initial £100 fixed penalty, which applies even if there is no tax to pay or the tax due is paid on time.
Treat weekend phone cover as unconfirmed, and file online before the final week of January.
Is the HMRC Self Assessment Phone Number Free?
The HMRC Self Assessment phone number is not a freephone number. It is an 0300 number, which GOV.UK prices in the same way as an 01 or 02 call and counts towards inclusive minutes.
Without inclusive minutes, GOV.UK puts the cost at up to 10p a minute from landlines and 3p to 40p a minute from mobiles.
- With inclusive minutes: 0300 calls draw on the allowance in the same way as 01 and 02 calls, so no extra charge applies.
- Landline without a bundle: up to 10p a minute, so a 30-minute wait on hold could cost up to £3.00 (an illustration at the published maximum).
- Mobile without a bundle: 3p to 40p a minute, depending on the provider and tariff.
- From abroad: +44 161 931 9070, with the roaming charge set by the provider.
There is no 0800 number for Self Assessment. HMRC withdrew its 0845 helpline numbers from 30 June 2015 in favour of 03 numbers, which GOV.UK described as cheaper for most callers.
A few HMRC services do use 0800, such as the National Insurance number application helpline for England, Scotland and Wales on 0800 141 2079.
Check the inclusive minutes on the plan before a long call, and read the GOV.UK call charges and Ofcom’s call-costs guide for the current ranges. Webchat does not use phone minutes at all, and the wider comparison across HMRC lines sits in the HMRC telephone number free guide.
Best Time to Call the HMRC Self Assessment Helpline
HMRC does not publish a recommended time to call. GOV.UK does warn that Online Services Helpdesk waiting times can reach 45 minutes.
Call outside the final weeks before 31 January where possible, and check GOV.UK for current waiting-time information before calling.
What to Have Ready Before You Call HMRC About Self Assessment
Have your UTR ready: the 10-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference, together with your National Insurance number. Check before you call that each item below is to hand:
- Government Gateway details: the user ID and password for the Personal Tax Account or Business Tax Account.
- Current personal details: name, address and date of birth as held by HMRC, because out-of-date records can fail telephone security.
- The exact error message: the wording shown in the online account or on the form.
- The tax year in question: plus the figures from any earlier return being queried.
- Any HMRC letter: with the reference printed on it.
During the call:
- State the reason plainly when the automated system asks why you are calling.
- Note the date, time, adviser’s name and what was agreed.
- Ask what happens next and when a reply is due, then track it with GOV.UK’s reply-time checker.
Four mistakes waste the most time. Calling the general enquiries line to make a payment will not work, because HMRC says the bill cannot be paid using that number.
Calling it about a sign-in fault sends the problem to the wrong team, since the HMRC Self Assessment online technical support number, 0300 200 3600, handles those. Phoning HMRC about accounting software faults does not work for the same reason.
Faster Ways to Reach HMRC When the Phone Queue Is Too Long
HMRC’s digital assistant is a useful first step: GOV.UK’s Self Assessment contact page starts there, and it can transfer a user to an adviser by webchat when one is available. It covers registering, ending Self Assessment, filing, paying, appealing a penalty, refunds, activation codes and Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
| Route | Suited to | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Digital assistant and webchat | Registering, filing, paying, refunds, activation codes | Adviser transfer depends on availability |
| X (@HMRCcustomers) | General questions | No individual tax affairs; Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 8am to 4pm |
| Post to BX9 1AS | Formal queries and documents | Slowest route; reply times are published on GOV.UK |
Use webchat instead of the phone for any task on that list, and speak to an adviser by phone only when the digital assistant cannot resolve the problem.
To complain about the service HMRC has provided relating to Self Assessment, GOV.UK lists 0300 200 3310, with textphone 0300 200 3319.
Accessibility routes also exist: the online technical support line has its own textphone number, and GOV.UK lists extra support where a health condition or personal circumstances make phone or online contact hard.
How to spot a fake HMRC call
GOV.UK carries a dedicated page for reporting contact that might not be genuine. Suspicious text messages can be forwarded to 60599, and suspicious emails forwarded to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk before deletion.
Hang up on any caller demanding immediate payment, then phone HMRC back on a number taken from GOV.UK.
Conclusion
The HMRC Self Assessment phone number is 0300 200 3310, open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Sign-in problems go to 0300 200 3600, software faults go to the provider, and the payment enquiries line cannot take a payment.
Call outside the final weeks before 31 January where possible, and check GOV.UK for current waiting-time information before calling.
FAQs
What is the HMRC Self Assessment phone number?
The HMRC Self Assessment phone number is 0300 200 3310, open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, and closed on bank holidays. The same line covers payment enquiries and Making Tax Digital for Income Tax questions.
Is there a free 0800 number for HMRC Self Assessment?
No. HMRC lists no 0800 number for Self Assessment. The helpline is an 0300 number, charged at the same rate as an 01 or 02 call and counted within inclusive minutes.
What are the HMRC Self Assessment helpline opening times on Saturdays and bank holidays?
The helpline is closed on bank holidays and open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Saturday phone cover exists only in one-off cases, such as 9am to 4pm on 31 January 2026.
What is the HMRC Self Assessment contact number from outside the UK?
The number is +44 161 931 9070 for general enquiries, or +44 161 930 8445 for online technical support. The caller’s provider sets the charge, so roaming costs need checking first.
Who answers when you call the Self Assessment helpline?
An HMRC adviser answers, after a recorded message and automated questions about the reason for the call.
Numbers, hours and call charges reflect GOV.UK and the sources named, as published on 3 November 2026. HMRC can change them at short notice, so confirm details on GOV.UK before calling, and seek qualified advice for individual tax circumstances.
